第32章 BOOK III(2)

Well,said King Arthur unto Aries the cowherd,fetch all thy sons afore me that I may see them.And so the poor man did,and all were shaped much like the poor man.But Tor was not like none of them all in shape nor in countenance,for he was much more than any of them.Now,said King Arthur unto the cow herd,where is the sword he shall be made knight withal?It is here,said Tor.

Take it out of the sheath,said the king,and require me to make you a knight.

Then Tor alighted off his mare and pulled out his sword,kneeling,and requiring the king that he would make him knight,and that he might be a knight of the Table Round.As for a knight I will make you,and therewith smote him in the neck with the sword,saying,Be ye a good knight,and so I pray to God so ye may be,and if ye be of prowess and of worthiness ye shall be a knight of the Table Round.Now Merlin,said Arthur,say whether this Tor shall be a good knight or no.Yea,sir,he ought to be a good knight,for he is come of as good a man as any is alive,and of kings'blood.How so,sir?said the king.

I shall tell you,said Merlin:This poor man,Aries the cowherd,is not his father;he is nothing sib to him,for King Pellinore is his father.I suppose nay,said the cowherd.Fetch thy wife afore me,said Merlin,and she shall not say nay.Anon the wife was fetched,which was a fair housewife,and there she answered Merlin full womanly,and there she told the king and Merlin that when she was a maid,and went to milk kine,there met with her a stern knight,and half by force he had my maidenhead,and at that time he begat my son Tor,and he took away from me my greyhound that I had that time with me,and said that he would keep the greyhound for my love.Ah,said the cowherd,I weened not this,but I may believe it well,for he had never no tatches of me.

Sir,said Tor unto Merlin,dishonour not my mother.Sir,said Merlin,it is more for your worship than hurt,for your father is a good man and a king,and he may right well advance you and your mother,for ye were begotten or ever she was wedded.That is truth,said the wife.It is the less grief unto me,said the cowherd.

CHAPTER IV

How Sir Tor was known for son of King Pellinore,and how Gawaine was made knight.

SO on the morn King Pellinore came to the court of King Arthur,which had great joy of him,and told him of Tor,how he was his son,and how he had made him knight at the request of the cowherd.When Pellinore beheld Tor,he pleased him much.So the king made Gawaine knight,but Tor was the first he made at the feast.What is the cause,said King Arthur,that there be two places void in the sieges?Sir,said Merlin,there shall no man sit in those places but they that shall be of most worship.But in the Siege Perilous there shall no man sit therein but one,and if there be any so hardy to do it he shall be destroyed,and he that shall sit there shall have no fellow.And therewith Merlin took King Pellinore by the hand,and in the one hand next the two sieges and the Siege Perilous he said,in open audience,This is your place and best ye are worthy to sit therein of any that is here.Thereat sat Sir Gawaine in great envy and told Gaheris his brother,yonder knight is put to great worship,the which grieveth me sore,for he slew our father King Lot,therefore I will slay him,said Gawaine,with a sword that was sent me that is passing trenchant.Ye shall not so,said Gaheris,at this time,for at this time I am but a squire,and when I am made knight I will be avenged on him,and therefore,brother,it is best ye suffer till another time,that we may have him out of the court,for an we did so we should trouble this high feast.I will well,said Gawaine,as ye will.

CHAPTER V

How at feast of the wedding of King Arthur to Guenever,a white hart came into the hall,and thirty couple hounds,and how a brachet pinched the hart which was taken away.

THEN was the high feast made ready,and the king was wedded at Camelot unto Dame Guenever in the church of Saint Stephen's,with great solemnity.And as every man was set after his degree,Merlin went to all the knights of the Round Table,and bade them sit still,that none of them remove.For ye shall see a strange and a marvellous adventure.Right so as they sat there came running in a white hart into the hall,and a white brachet next him,and thirty couple of black running hounds came after with a great cry,and the hart went about the Table Round as he went by other boards.The white brachet bit him by the buttock and pulled out a piece,wherethrough the hart leapt a great leap and overthrew a knight that sat at the board side;and therewith the knight arose and took up the brachet,and so went forth out of the hall,and took his horse and rode his way with the brachet.Right so anon came in a lady on a white palfrey,and cried aloud to King Arthur,Sir,suffer me not to have this despite,for the brachet was mine that the knight led away.Imay not do therewith,said the king.

With this there came a knight riding all armed on a great horse,and took the lady away with him with force,and ever she cried and made great dole.When she was gone the king was glad,for she made such a noise.Nay,said Merlin,ye may not leave these adventures so lightly;for these adventures must be brought again or else it would be disworship to you and to your feast.I will,said the king,that all be done by your advice.Then,said Merlin,let call Sir Gawaine,for he must bring again the white hart.Also,sir,ye must let call Sir Tor,for he must bring again the brachet and the knight,or else slay him.Also let call King Pellinore,for he must bring again the lady and the knight,or else slay him.And these three knights shall do marvellous adventures or they come again.Then were they called all three as it rehearseth afore,and each of them took his charge,and armed them surely.But Sir Gawaine had the first request,and therefore we will begin at him.

CHAPTER VI

How Sir Gawaine rode for to fetch again the hart,and how two brethren fought each against other for the hart.